


Fox Daycare Extras

by PalmettoFoxDen



Series: Fox Daycare & Extras [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daycare, Gen, Glimpses into other characters' pov for more info outside of Nicky and Erik's povs in Fox Daycare, Jeremy and Jean don't go to the daycare yet at this point in the fic, but I have plans so Jean's going on that character list, for when he becomes important later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-14 20:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalmettoFoxDen/pseuds/PalmettoFoxDen
Summary: A collection of extras for my Fox Daycare fic from other characters' points of view. Fox Daycare can be read without the extras, but these give extra information and provide more context around other character's actions, thoughts, and situations. (There are author's notes in this fic and Fox Daycare to let you know where extras fit in the main story.)(The first six extras were already originally posted to tumblr, but I'm copying them over here with each extra getting its own chapter. Future extras will be posted here.)





	1. Neil's POV - Neil's home life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary leaves Neil alone in his apartment with strict rules. Plus, Neil goes to Wymack's apartment to play with Kevin. (Neil's pov with a look at Neil's home life and at Neil's dynamics with Wymack and Kevin.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 4 and 5 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was originally posted between chapters 4 and 5 of Fox Daycare.**

“I'll be back in a few hours,” Mary said. “But before I go, what are the rules?”

“Lock the door behind you. Stay inside. Stay away from windows. Don't answer the phone. Don't answer the door. If someone knocks, hide and don't make a sound,” Neil recited.

His mother gave him a small nod. It was the closest thing she ever showed him to pride. “Don't let anyone know you're home.”

“I won't,” Neil promised.

He watched as his mom left and then he locked the door the second that she was gone because that was the rule.

He wasn't allowed to watch TV when his mother wasn't home. Someone might hear it playing and figure out he was in the apartment. Even when his mother was home, they never had the TV loud enough to hear what was going on because they had to lay low and blend in and not gather any attention. That was what kept them safe. His mother’s rules were important because her rules were what kept them safe and alive.

So Neil didn't turn the TV on.

The windows all had curtains that were always pulled down, but Neil still had to stay away from them.  _Just because someone can't see you doesn't mean they can't shoot you through the window._

So Neil stayed out of the kitchen with its double window.

Neil and his mother shared a bedroom. Not because the apartment was too small for Neil to have his own room, but because Neil needed to be right there with her if someone was to break in or if they had to run suddenly in the middle of the night. Their bedroom had a window too, but it was only in the corner so that wasn't so bad if Neil chose where to sit on the floor just right.

But the window still made Neil nervous and he was always more afraid when he was home alone. So Neil grabbed the little army man figurines he'd stuck in his pocket when the workers weren't looking at a thrift store when his mother had been buying them clothes. He took them into the bathroom, turned the light on, shut the door behind him, and locked it for good measure.

The bathroom didn't have any windows. The bathroom had its own lock. It was the safest room in the apartment, even if the light bulb had been starting to flicker in a way Neil didn't particularly care for lately.

Neil sat on the floor with his army men and pretended they were exy players, using the bath mat as their court. He used where the lines of the tile on the floor intersected with the mat to mark where the goal lines were for himself. The ball was a cotton ball that was very disproportionate to the size of his players, but he also moved the ball from the end of one gun to the end of another pretending the guns were racquets so it was an imperfect set up, but he made do. He always did.

Neil was happily absorbed in his game and almost forgot that he was there by himself when he heard a loud noise. He quickly dropped his army men and the cotton ball and flicked the switch so that no light would shine out from under the door and so that if someone was coming to get him, maybe they wouldn't know he was there.

Neil sat on the floor in the darkness with his knees clutched to his chest, waiting for someone to come and get him. He was convinced every little noise coming from the hallways and other apartments were sure signs today was the day that they would finally be found. But several minutes passed and nothing else happened. He didn't hear the loud noise again so he hoped that someone somewhere had just dropped something very heavy and he wasn't really in danger.

He turned the light back on and double checked the door was locked, then went back to playing with his army men again.

The light flickered even more. He could hear footsteps of someone running down the hallway, but they were headed away from the apartment. Not toward it. Neil wasn't able to shake his nerves as he played this time. He was too busy listening for when he would have to turn the light back off.

Then the light went out all on its own.

For a terrifying moment, Neil was sure that someone else had turned it off and he had been too distracted playing to hear them coming. But when he found the handle of the door in the dark and opened it, it was still just him alone in the apartment.

Neil was scared. He always felt safer in the bathroom home alone, but now the light wouldn't turn back on no matter how many times he turned the switch off and back on.

He wanted his mom to come home, but she wouldn't be home for hours still.

Neil wished that he could play with Kevin. Kevin had real action figures of real exy players. Kevin had video games where you got to play as real exy teams. Kevin had all sorts of toys Neil had never seen before. Kevin didn't have to make do with stolen army men and a cotton ball.

Wymack still scared Neil, like any adult old enough to be a dad did. But Neil had gone home with him and Wymack and Kevin after daycare enough times already to know that they lived in the same apartment building. And being around Wymack was a risk, but it wasn't so bad if Neil made sure to never leave Kevin's side so that he'd never have to be alone with Wymack.

Neil sat for ten minutes on the floor of his bedroom, away from the window, before he decided that it was worth the risk. His mom left him with Wymack and Kevin at daycare and she let Wymack take him back to his apartment when she couldn't pick him up on time, so she must not think that he and Kevin were  _that_ dangerous. Besides, Neil had heard Wymack tell his mom that he could watch Neil any time outside of daycare hours that she needed. Just because she hadn't taken him up on that offer didn't mean Neil couldn't. Did it?

It really wasn't that big of a walk to their apartment when he stopped to think about it. Neil and his mother’s apartment was close to the stairwell. All he had to do was go to the stairwell and go up a floor and go to the third door on the right. That wasn't so far. He could blend in that far. Couldn't he?

Neil stood with his ear pressed against the door of the apartment and waited nearly five minutes for it to get quiet enough before he unlocked the door and leaned forward to look up and down the hallway in case someone was there. But there was no one. So Neil stepped through the doorway and closed the door as gently as he could behind him and then he headed for the stairwell.

He was halfway up to the next floor when he heard other footsteps in the stairwell. He held his breath and stood still and was relieved when he heard a door open and close and then the footsteps were gone again. Still, he waited another moment before he resumed his climb.

When he made it to Wymack and Kevin’s door, he waited for a long moment trying to get up the nerve to knock on the door. If it hadn't been for the sound of the elevator dinging around the corner, he may have never gotten up the nerve to do it. But he didn't want to find out who was about to come into the hallway, so he knocked on the door as quietly as he could.

He was afraid that no one had heard him or that they weren't home, but a few moments later, Wymack opened the door.

He looked surprised to see Neil there. Neil looked down at his feet instead of holding eye contact.

“Neil,” Wymack said. “Would you like to come in?”

Neil just barely nodded. He was relieved when Wymack moved away from the doorway to let him in. At least he wouldn't have to walk too close to him then,

“Kevin's in his room if you want to play with him,” Wymack said.

Neil ran down the hallway to get away from Wymack as quickly as possible.

Kevin looked surprised when Neil entered his room, but at least he didn't look angry.

“Want to play a game?” Kevin asked.

Neil nodded his head. He knew that Kevin always picked the game, but he didn't mind because Kevin had better ones than him anyway.

* * *

Neil had been playing with Kevin for a while when Wymack appeared in the doorway to Kevin's bedroom. Neil was too aware that he was blocking the doorway and the window was the only way to escape if he needed to. He was supposed to stay away from windows.

“Dinner time,” Wymack said and then he turned his focus onto Neil as he added, “Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine,” Neil said.

“Come sit with us anyway and there's plenty of food for you too if you change your mind,” Wymack said.

Neil was hungry, but he wouldn't admit that. His mom hadn’t made dinner before she'd had to go out.

He followed Kevin to the table and purposely took a seat as far from Wymack as possible.

Wymack served dinner and filled up a plate for Neil too. Apparently, he didn't believe that Neil wasn't hungry.

“So, Neil,” Wymack said as he sat down.

Neil tried not to let his eyes go too wide. He stared down at his plate and regretted choosing the spot furthest from Wymack since it also happened to be furthest from the exit.

“Not that we don't like having you over, but what are you doing here?” Wymack asked.

Neil shrugged and picked up his fork. He pushes mashed potatoes around on his plate instead of answering.

“Does your mom know you're here?” Wymack asked.

Neil knew what answer Wymack wanted, so he lied, “Yes. She's at work and told me to come here.”

Neil was good at lying. His mother had taught him. Lying was important. It kept them alive and safe.

Luckily, Wymack seemed satisfied with that answer.

Neil ate what was on his plate, partially because he really was hungry now that he had food in front of him and the smell of the gravy had hit him and partially because if his mouth was full of food then Wymack couldn't expect Neil to talk to him.

After dinner, Wymack did the dishes while Kevin put a cartoon on for him and Neil.

Neil half watched for a while, not really caring about the show but glad to not be by himself, but then he decided to make his move before Wymack could come back to stop him or try to walk him back to his apartment and talk to his mother.

“I have to go,” Neil said as he got off of the couch.

Kevin frowned at him, “But your mom’s not here.”

Neil said, “She's home from work by now. I should go home. She said I can walk by myself.”

Actually, if all went as planned, Neil's mother wasn't home now and wouldn't be for at least another half hour. But Neil needed to be safe and make sure he got home first.

So before Kevin could say anything else, Neil crept out into the hallway and rushed to the stairwell. He didn't stop until he was back safely in his own apartment with the door locked behind him.

Neil waited a few minutes with his back pressed against the door and stayed perfectly still as he listened for any sign that someone had seen him and knew who he was and was coming to get him. But the building remained as quiet as an apartment building could really be expected to be.

So Neil went back to the bedroom and sat in the safe spot on the floor and played with his army men.

When his mom got home twenty minutes later, Neil hid his toys and stuck his head out into the hallway to make sure it was really her.

“Did you follow the rules?” Mary asked him in lieu of a proper greeting.

Neil nodded his head.

Neil was a good liar and his mother had taught him well, so she believed him.

“Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra also was posted between chapters 4 and 5 of Fox Daycare.**


	2. Aaron's POV - Aaron's notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron draws notes for Nicky and Andrew isn't much help. Aaron's lunch is missing something. (Aaron's pov with a look at why he draws so many pictures for Nicky and at his dynamic with Nicky.) 
> 
> (Posted between chapters 4 and 5 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was originally posted between chapters 4 and 5 of Fox Daycare.**

After lunch, the class had a few minutes of quiet time to read or draw or work on something quiet on their own. Andrew was cutting up papers with scissors and covering his desk with the pieces while Aaron made a note to put in Nicky's pocket later for when he was at work.

Nicky wrote notes for Aaron and Andrew and put them in their lunches every day. He drew pictures on them too and sometimes the pictures helped Aaron read them. Nicky usually wrote the same thing and drew a different picture so Aaron didn't have to be able to read all the words because he already knew what it said. Nicky wanted him to have a good day at school.

Today’s note told him to have a good day and had a picture of Aaron reading a book with pictures of rocks on the cover. Andrew’s was similar, except he was reading a book about cars. They were both wearing the same shirts they were wearing that day.

Aaron made Nicky notes so he'd have something to read with his lunch and so that he would have good nights at work too. His notes were almost all pictures, but sometimes he wrote something too. Sometimes, he just put random letters or squiggly lines with the pictures so it looked more like one of Nicky’s notes.

Tilda had never written Aaron a single note ever. Nicky wrote them every single day, so Aaron wanted Nicky to have some too because Aaron knew what it was like not to have someone to write notes for you. He knew how nice it felt to get one.

Andrew leaned over to look at Aaron's picture and told him, “That's not how you spell Nicky.”

“How do you spell it?” Aaron asked, but Andrew had already turned away and was cutting up his paper smaller and smaller while he ignored Aaron.

Aaron crossed out NKE on his page so he could try to sound it out again, but he was too frustrated and he crossed it out hard enough to make a hole in the page, so he picked his note up and ripped it in half. As Aaron went to grab another paper, Andrew grabbed Aaron's torn note so he could cut up that paper too.

Aaron drew Nicky a dog because Aaron liked dogs and he didn't know what else to draw. He couldn’t think of anything that Nicky liked. Nicky was always at work or looking after them and Aaron didn’t know what Nicky’s favourite animal was or what he liked to do. Aaron liked dogs though and he knew how to draw them so he drew himself and Nicky and Andrew beside the dog.

Andrew grabbed the black marker out of Aaron’s hand and scribbled over the ends of his own arms in the picture because Aaron forgot to draw him in long sleeves again.

“How do you spell Nicky?” Aaron tried again.

Andrew ignored him and went back to cutting his paper.

Nicky always wrote their names on their notes so they knew they were for them. Aaron wanted to write Nicky's name on his so he would know it was his, but he didn't remember how to spell it and his best guess had been wrong so he didn't bother trying this time. Instead, he grabbed another paper to make another picture. This time, he was going to draw them watching TV.

When they got home, Aaron would stick his notes for Nicky into the pockets of Nicky’s work pants so that he would have them on his break at work. He wouldn’t have any notes left to put in Nicky’s pockets for lunch time the next day but that would be alright. He would have plenty of time to make more notes at Wymack’s place while Andrew played with Kevin. It was good to have something to do besides sit there and watch them play.

* * *

The next day at lunch, Aaron opened his lunch and looked for the note Nicky had written for him. There was always a note. Aaron had gotten used to it enough that the first thing he did at lunch time was pull the note of the plastic bag he used as a lunch kit.

Except, there was no note today.

Aaron took everything out of his bag and then dumped it upside down but there was no sign of any paper. He glanced over at Andrew but Andrew’s note was already sitting on the table with his name written on it. Nicky had drawn him in the outfit he wore to school. He was outside, standing on the top of the play structure. Nicky wanted him to have a good day.

Aaron reached for Andrew’s lunch bag but Andrew tugged it away before he could reach it.

“Eat your own.”

“Is my note in there?” Aaron asked, afraid that there really wouldn’t be a note.

Andrew flipped his lunch bag upside down, sending food scattering across the desk and floor. He made no move to clean any of it up.

There was no other note.

Nicky had written a note for Andrew and not him.

Nicky was mad at him or sick of him or something. Aaron knew that it would happen sooner or later and he knew that Nicky writing notes for him every day was too good to be true but that didn’t make it sting any less. Somehow, it was worse having had the notes and having them taken away than it had been not to ever get notes from his mother.

Aaron couldn’t show he was upset. Not in front of everybody. Not in front of Andrew.

Andrew would make fun of him and everyone would see he was weak. So Aaron held it in and picked at his lunch in silence. Maybe in a few minutes, when Andrew was distracted, he could go to the washroom where he could cry with no one seeing and let his feelings out. For now, he took a bite of his sandwich and refused to look his brother in the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra was originally posted after chapter 6 of Fox Daycare and has to do with events that take place in chapters 5 and 6.**


	3. Andrew's POV - Grocery shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicky takes the twins grocery shopping and Andrew is irritated with Nicky. (Andrew's pov with a look at his feelings towards Nicky.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This extra was originally posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**

Andrew Minyard hated himself for ever letting himself begin to trust Nicky, even a little. If they had been going anywhere other than the grocery store, Andrew would have refused to get dressed out of spite, but they were out of ice cream and Nicky was Andrew’s only way to get some so Andrew went to get ready without an argument. That didn’t mean he was going to talk to Nicky though.

The first strike against Nicky had been when Nicky had been too busy on his phone with some mystery more important person to pay any attention to them or leave for daycare in the morning.

The second strike had been forgetting Aaron’s note, especially when it was because Nicky had been paying attention to his phone and someone else instead of what he was doing. Although Nicky had hurt Aaron emotionally instead of physically, Andrew’s response had been much the same as it would have been if Nicky had hit Aaron. The only difference was that Andrew hurt Nicky back emotionally instead of physically.

Nicky’s third strike had been protecting Allison and lecturing him for protecting Kevin from Allison. Andrew wasn’t about to let Nicky get in the way of Kevin’s safety and it said a lot about Nicky that he would try. Andrew knew better than to trust Kevin’s safety to adults. Andrew had been hurt by adults before. Aaron had been hurt by adults before. Neil wouldn’t say it, but Andrew knew he had been hurt by adults before too. And Kevin had been hurt by adults and had adults cover up hurt by other kids all the time when he had gone to Edgar Allan Daycare, even when one had broken his hand.

The fourth strike had been forgetting about Aaron and losing him. Nicky was supposed to be responsible for them and he couldn’t even keep track of Aaron inside the daycare. That was why Andrew had to look out for Aaron himself. What if Aaron got lost somewhere bigger with worse people around? Andrew would be there to protect him. Not Nicky.

The fifth strike had been Nicky trying to control Andrew and force him to play with Aaron. Andrew didn’t like being told what to do and he didn’t like setting Aaron up to have expectations for him. If Nicky had just bothered him about that alone though, Andrew probably would have just ignored him.

The sixth strike had been ‘ _What is wrong with you? Why can't you play with him like a normal brother?’_ It was bad enough Aaron wanted Andrew to be the normal brother he had dreamed up for himself in his sad days alone with Tilda. It was worse that Nicky was pressuring him into it too.

Andrew wasn’t normal. He’d been told his whole life that there was something wrong with him and he was a freak and a little monster. No one wanted to keep a freak or a monster in their house so Andrew hadn’t lasted anywhere long. Even if no one had told him, Andrew would have figured out that he was dreadfully different from other people. He didn’t need Nicky to remind him and blame him for it. Andrew had been through this enough times before and it was time to put the walls way up again. He should have never let them slip down at all.

The seventh strike had been after daycare closed when Nicky had come back from checking his phone instead of watching them again and had announced that they might be going to Nicky’s parents’ house for dinner soon. Andrew had only met Nicky’s parents a few times, but each time had been unbearable. He had zero desire to see either of them ever again.

When they got to the store, Nicky took everything that Andrew put in the cart back out, so Andrew started knocking things off the shelf. If they couldn’t get Oreos or Cocoa Puffs, then why did he have to keep walking past them? If he couldn’t get Oreos or Cocoa Puffs, then why should anyone else be allowed to?

What really frustrated Andrew was when Nicky kept taking the ice cream back out of the cart. Ice cream was the whole reason Andrew had cooperated and they’d been out for over a week. But Nicky kept taking it out of the cart like he was trying to punish Andrew.

After Andrew’s third attempt at making Nicky buy him ice cream, Nicky crouched down to Andrew’s level right in front of him and Andrew resisted the urge to back up and show he was intimidated.

“Andrew,  _please_. Stop. We can’t afford it.”

Andrew flinched. He  _hated_  that word and Nicky just kept using it. He couldn’t stand it anymore. It was enough he was willing to break his silent treatment as he warned, “I don’t like that word.”

“Which word?” Nicky asked, but there was no way Andrew was about to use the word to tell him, so he just stared at Nicky and waited for him to figure it out.

For all Andrew cared, Nicky could avoid all those words from now on.

“Please?” Nicky asked and Andrew flinched again, even though he tried not too. Why did Nicky keep saying it?

“Say it again and I’ll kick you,” Andrew warned. “Hard.”

“Okay,” Nicky said. “I won’t use it anymore.”

Andrew was skeptical. He wasn’t convinced Nicky would keep his promise but at least this was better than Nicky ignoring him and now he would find out if Nicky cared about keeping promises to him or not.

“But no ice cream,” Nicky said. “Not today. We can’t afford it right now. I promise I’ll get some when we can though.”

There was another promise that Andrew could test him with. Maybe it wasn’t ice cream, but at least Nicky had given him something to work with. Andrew still wasn’t happy that they couldn’t get the ice cream though, so he pulled the container out one last time and dropped it on the floor. Maybe, he’d stop putting it in the cart, but he certainly wasn’t about to let Nicky think he wasn’t annoyed about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **The next extra was also posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**


	4. Wymack's POV - Nicky after his date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between Nicky and Wymack after Nicky comes back from his second date with Erik. (Wymack's pov of Nicky acting his age for once.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This was originally posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**

Wymack expected Nicky to come back looking even more exhausted than usual after his lunch out. Nicky worked two jobs and picked the twins up late every night. Usually, Nicky spent his lunch break scarfing down lunch in the staff room and napping on the couch. He tended to come back from his break looking disoriented and still half asleep but the kids had a way of waking him up pretty fast.

This time, Nicky didn't look like he needed any kids jumping and screaming at him to wake him up. Nicky wasn't just beaming, he was  _glowing._ Hell, the kid was practically skipping. Nicky usually looked like he had weights tied to each of his feet and was barely able to keep his head above water but he looked like he was floating now.

“Good lunch?” Wymack asked.

“ _Great_  lunch,” Nicky corrected with a wistful air to his voice. “With the most perfect man I've ever met. And he kissed me.”

“The same perfect man from your last date?” Wymack asked.

Nicky nodded his head and then sighed, “He's so dreamy. And tall. And muscular. And he smells like  _man_.”

Wymack let out a chuckle. With all the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, it was easy to forget that Nicky was just a kid himself at eighteen. It wasn't often that it showed but it was nice to see that Nicky still could act his age. He deserved the chance to have something for himself and he deserved to be a happy kid hung up on the guy he liked.

“And it was nothing like kissing girls,” Nicky insisted. “It was so much better. And his hands are so  _big_.”

“Does this mean that you’re going to be seeing a lot more of him?” Wymack asked.

“I hope so,” Nicky said with a big grin.

“Good,” Wymack told him. “And if you ever need a babysitter, you know where to find me.”

“We’ll see,” Nicky said.

“I really don’t mind,” Wymack said. “Kevin likes having them over anyway and Andrew is much better than his last best friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra was also posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**


	5. Aaron's POV - Aaron's friendship with Katelyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron develops a friendship through the back fence at daycare and then leaves the yard to talk to his new friend. (Aaron's pov with a look at how he and Katelyn became friends while he was at the fence and with a look at the Aaron and Nicky dynamic and why Aaron cried when Nicky lectured him.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was originally posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**

The first time Aaron saw her walk by the backyard of the daycare, she was walking hand in hand with her older sister and pug and he was paying more attention to the dog than to her.

Aaron moved to sit against the fence and watched the dog the whole way down the sidewalk, hoping that it would come over to him so he could stick his fingers through the fence to pet him.

He was lucky and the dog came over and sniffed him through the fence. Aaron stuck his fingers through and the dog licked them for a moment before the girl’s older sister tugged on the leash.

“Come on, Popo,” she insisted as she pulled her sister and the dog forward.

As the dog was pulled away, Aaron glanced up and met the younger sister’s eyes for a moment before she was tugged away too.

The girl hadn’t just noticed him. She had smiled at him and, for a moment, Aaron felt special.

He only realized that he should have smiled back at her when she was already gone.

* * *

The next time he saw her, a few days later, she was with her mother instead and the dog wasn’t with them.

Aaron smiled at her when she was halfway down the street from him, hoping that she would notice him in time and not think he was a complete jerk after he hadn’t smiled back last time.

She didn’t notice him and he got embarrassed and nervous that Andrew would see, so he stopped smiling and instead tried to figure out what she was doing as she stopped every few steps to pick something up off the ground and then show her mother.

When they were a few feet away, Aaron tried smiling again. This time, the girl saw him and beamed back.

When she was even with where he sat at the fence, the girl stopped for a moment and took something from her hand. She dropped it through the metal of the fence for him and then she was gone, jogging to catch up to her mother.

Aaron watched them go and then looked down at what she had dropped next to him.

It was a pile of three rocks. One was black and perfectly smooth. Another was grey and jagged and sparkled in the light. The third looked like a shark tooth.

Aaron picked the rocks up and ran his fingers over their surfaces, unsure why she had gifted him with some of the rocks she was collecting.

When it was time to go inside, he held them tight in his hand so he wouldn’t lose them and Andrew wouldn’t see.

* * *

After that, Aaron and the girl developed an unspoken routine. Aaron would sit by the fence when the daycare kids went outside to play. When the girl walked by, they would smile at each other and she would drop some of the rocks she had collected through the gate for him. Aaron had a rock collection of his own at home thanks to her.

Aaron kept an eye out for special rocks on the playground at school and daycare, but he didn’t keep those ones for his collection. Those he saved up in his pocket for later. When he saw her coming down the sidewalk, he pushed them through the holes in the fence for her to find.

One day a few weeks into their routine, Nicky was busy watching the other side of the yard and Andrew was distracted with Neil and Kevin on the play structure when the girl walked by with her older sister again.

She dropped rocks through the fence for him and then smiled at him as she grabbed the rocks that he had pushed through for her. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something to him, but then her sister tugged on her hand again.

“Come on!”

The girl left with her sister, but she looked back over her shoulder at Aaron and he wished he could go with her. He wanted to know what she had been going to say.

He watched as she and her sister walked down the street until they stopped in a front yard halfway down the street. Aaron had seen them walk there before and it was frustrating that her house was so close but he couldn’t go see her.

He expected them to go inside like they usually did, but today they dropped their backpacks on the driveway. The girl carefully zipped away the rocks Aaron had left for her and then she and her sister started playing a game Aaron didn’t know, running around on the grass and weaving through the trees in their front yard.

Aaron glanced over at Nicky. He was busy and with him and Andrew distracted and no one by the gate, now was his best chance at finding out what she had been going to say, what her name was, and what game they were playing.

Aaron knew that technically he wasn’t supposed to leave the backyard, but he didn’t think it would be a big deal. Her house was only halfway down the street and it wasn’t like Nicky couldn’t see him from inside the fence. Besides, Aaron’s mom had left by himself and trusted him to walk himself to and from school all the time without anyone there to watch him. Aaron wasn’t a baby. He could walk down the street by himself.

Aaron stood up and stuck his rocks in his pocket as he headed for the gate. He took no one stopping him as a sign of permission as he turned to walk down the street.

When he reached her driveway, Aaron got a little nervous that she wouldn’t want him there, intruding on her game, but she just smiled and skipped over.

“I’m Katelyn,” she said with a beaming smile. “Do you want to play with us?”

“I’m Aaron,” he said. “I don’t know how to play that game.”

“It’s easy,” Katelyn insisted. “I’ll teach you. When it’s your turn, you have to run around through the trees and remember how you go so you know if someone does it wrong. Watch. I’ll go first and Sarah has to remember which way I went to copy it.”

With that she was off, running in an elaborate path through the trees. Aaron watched until she stopped in front of him again.

“Now Sarah has to go,” Katelyn said. As Sarah began to run, Katelyn told him, “You can help me tell if she does it right and then you can make the next one to copy.”

“Okay,” Aaron said. He was surprised that she was including him in their game so easily. He was used to sitting on the sidelines and watching others play if he was lucky. “You’re a fast runner,” he added because it was true and because he wanted her to like him.

“I’ve had a lot of practice at this game,” she said. “What game is your favourite?”

Aaron didn’t get the chance to tell her because the sound of his name being called down the street interrupted him.

Aaron turned and saw Nicky rushing towards him, out of breath from running. He was embarrassed that Nicky was coming over so loudly and dramatically. For sure, Katelyn thought he was a baby now, needing his cousin right by him at all times.

No one liked to play with a baby. Katelyn probably would never smile at him again, let alone ask him to play with her.

Nicky grabbed onto Aaron’s hand and yanked him away from Katelyn.

Aaron dug his heels into the ground, trying to stop Nicky but he was too small to do much more than slow Nicky down slightly.

Katelyn waved at him and Aaron wondered why Nicky was making him leave when for some reason she was still being nice to him, even after the embarrassment Nicky had caused him.

Aaron waved back at Katelyn and wondered if he would ever get to see her again, but Nicky pulled harder and he stopped dragging his feet as he stumbled to keep up so that he wouldn’t fall over.

When they got back into the yard, Nicky practically slammed the gate shut. He didn’t let go of Aaron’s hand and used it to pull Aaron toward him as he crouched down.

For a moment, Aaron was convinced that Nicky was going to hit him in front of everyone for them to all see how bad he had been, but then Nicky hugged him to his chest and Aaron was too confused to properly react.

“Aaron, you can’t do that,” Nicky insisted and Aaron knew he wasn’t in the clear yet. Nicky was mad at him. “You can’t just run off. Anything could have happened! You scared the hell out of me.”

Aaron flinched at Nicky’s tone and then started crying, even though he knew that would only make things worse. Crying had always made his mother angrier, but he couldn’t hold it back this time.

Aaron cried because he knew what getting in trouble had always meant as soon as they had been alone when he had lived with his mother. He cried because Nicky dragged him off right when he was finally making a friend who would let him play with her. He cried because he was embarrassed. He cried because Nicky was drawing attention to the fact that he had left to play with someone else and now Andrew would probably find out, even though Aaron had made sure Andrew was distracted before he left. But, most of all, Aaron cried because Nicky was mad because he was worried about him and not because Aaron was in the way, making his life harder.

Nicky had been worried about what could have happened to him, even though Aaron had been safe and it wasn’t like anything bad was going to happen to him down the street. Aaron wasn’t used to adults worrying about him. He was used to them getting mad, but it was something else altogether to have someone tell him how worried they were about him and it threw him off enough that he couldn’t hold the tears in anymore.

Nicky was mad, but he didn’t want to get rid of him. Nicky still wanted to hug him and make sure he was okay. Nicky wasn’t hurting him and didn’t want to get rid of him because he hadn’t listened to the rules.

Nicky frowned and let out a sigh. Aaron worried Nicky was angry about the scene he was making with his tears.

“Just please don’t run off again, okay?” Nicky asked in a much gentler tone. “I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you. You’re way too important to me. I need you safe all the time. I’m sorry I pulled you away from your friend, but you have to stay here. It’s not safe to wander off by yourself.”

Aaron wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. He wanted the tears to stop, but they wouldn’t. Nicky cared if he was okay or not and Nicky didn’t want him by himself because of it. No one had ever cared if Aaron wandered off by himself before. One time, Aaron had been sure his mom would have left the grocery store when he got lost if he hadn’t run around as fast as he could until he had found her.

Nicky cared though and Aaron really didn’t want to screw that up and he almost had.

“Here,” Nicky said. “You can have this candy if you stop crying and stay inside the gates. Okay?”

Aaron nodded his head. He wanted to stop crying too and he wouldn’t leave again if it meant making Nicky so scared. Besides, Andrew would definitely notice if he tried again now.

Nicky gave Aaron a candy and Aaron popped it into his mouth. He sucked on it and managed to calm down a little as he walked back over to his spot by the fence. Maybe, couldn’t play with her, but he could at least watch Katelyn and her sister play and try to tell from there whether they copied each other’s paths right or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra was also originally posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**


	6. Andrew's POV - Andrew & Bee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look back at how Andrew grew to trust Bee up to where the main fic is at currently. Plus, Andrew tries to find Bee a boyfriend. (Andrew's pov of his dynamic with Bee.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was originally posted between chapters 6 and 7 of Fox Daycare.**

Andrew wasn’t used to trusting adults and he had been sure he was going to hate Bee.

Sure, Bee didn’t get mad in front of Nicky when he made a mess or got angry and lost control, but that meant nothing with eyes on them. She’d made other kids leave the area he was in to give him some space but she had never taken him to her office before he knocked over and smashed all of Matt’s Lego because he was bored and Matt had gotten onto his nerves trying to play with them. They had gotten into a fight and even though Matt was bigger, Andrew held his own and didn’t immediately feign remorse when adults interfered.

“Andrew,” Bee said when she stepped between them. “I think you need to come to my office to calm down.”

“No,” Andrew said.

“If you want to stay out here, then you need to show me you can be calm,” Bee said.

Andrew really did mean to, but Matt was already talking about him and Nicky was looking at him all disappointed and Matt still had Lego that hadn’t been broken, so Andrew kicked it as hard as he could in Matt’s general direction.

“This is not calm,” Bee said. “Come to my office.”

Andrew had zero desire to go to her office and be alone with her, but he stalked off ahead of her anyway so that she wouldn’t grab him to drag him there against his will.

When he got to her office, Andrew pushed her as hard as he could to test her and to try to convince her that she did  _not_  want to spend time around him so that she wouldn’t keep taking him to her office, even if she had left the door open. He kicked and punched at her and bit her, but she didn’t hit back or get mad. She didn’t grab him to stop him. She just took a step back or to the side to get further away whenever he struck her. She was different than other adults. She didn’t try to touch him after he first flinched and jerked away from her when she reached her hand out toward him after he first punched at her legs.

“You can be as angry as you want,” Bee told him. “Everyone gets angry. There’s nothing wrong with it. But it’s not okay to hit people. I brought you in here so you can calm down and keep yourself and everyone else safe.”

Andrew didn’t think it was okay for people to hit him or Aaron, but when he was angry he had a hard time keeping his own body in control. Something about the fact that Bee didn’t fight back and that she was against hitting made Andrew switch to kicking the armrest of the couch in her office as hard as he could instead.

“Hit whatever you want,” Bee said as she sat down in the armchair across from the couch. “Let your anger out on the furniture all you want. It won’t feel it.”

Andrew didn’t get quite the same sense of satisfaction as he kept kicking the couch, but he was angry enough to keep going. He expected Bee to be bluffing and snap at him to stop, but she just sat there and waited. She didn’t care that Andrew was being bad. She wasn’t yelling at him or grabbing him or punishing him. She was just sitting there and watching.

He kicked and kicked and kicked until he was too tired to keep going.

“Are you done now?” She asked.

Andrew said nothing.

“Will you come sit with me when you are?”

Andrew ignored her for a moment and stood there in defiance, but he didn’t get a reaction out of her so, eventually, he sat down. Maybe, if he listened to her, she would let him go back to Kevin and Aaron sooner.

“Do you feel better now?” Bee asked.

“No,” Andrew said honestly.

He expected her to argue with him or try to force him to feel better.

Instead, she asked, “Would you like to sit here for a while longer?”

Andrew said nothing. It felt like a trap. He didn’t think he would be allowed to leave so easily.

“We don’t have to talk,” she said. “We can just sit here until you’re ready to go back out. I can even get you an extra chocolate milk.”

“Okay,” Andrew said cautiously. He still did not trust her, but he at least was going to get chocolate milk out of this.

She got up and went to a mini fridge in the corner of her office and pulled out a chocolate milk container that resembled a juice box. He was surprised when she handed it over to him with no strings attached. He thought for sure she would try to force an apology out of him or try to make him promise to clean up Matt’s Lego before she would hand it over.

They sat in silence as Andrew tugged his straw off the box and jabbed it out of the plastic. He stabbed it into the box and drank his chocolate milk as quickly as he could, afraid that she would change her mind and start questioning him, but she sat in silence while he drank. She didn’t ask him if he felt better when he finished.

“You can leave whenever you feel ready,” Bee said. “Or you can stay as long as you want. This door is always open to you when you need it and you can always go back when you feel ready.”

Andrew dropped his empty milk box on the floor and left.

* * *

The next time Bee pulled Andrew, it was after Allison had shoved Aaron out of her way. Andrew had shoved her back much harder and Allison had yelled at him about how much trouble he was going to be in and how important her parents were.

Andrew had shoved her again and warned, “Don’t touch him.”

“Then tell him to stay out of my way,” Allison insisted.

Andrew had been about to hit her again when Bee interrupted.

“Allison, go,” Bee said.

Allison hesitated but then after a moment, she left with a smug smile that said she was certain she had gotten Andrew in trouble.

Andrew knew that she had not learned anything so he went over to the cubby where she kept her stuff and grabbed her backpack. He dumped her backpack out and grabbed books off of the floor and began ripping them while Bee followed him.

“What are you doing?” Allison snapped as she walked back over. “Stop touching my stuff, freak.”

“That’s not yours!” Dan yelled at him.

“Hey, stop!” Matt insisted as he reached out and grabbed Andrew’s arm to try to stop him.

Andrew jerked out of his grip so hard he almost fell.

“All of you away,” Bee said. “Go play by Nicky. It’s my job to worry about Andrew, not yours. Go.”

None of them seemed very happy about it, but they slowly trailed away. Andrew could still feel their eyes on him though.

He was angry and he wanted to wreck more of his things but something in him didn’t want to disappoint Bee any more than he already had when she was getting them away from him. He stood there seething and trying to decide whether to wreck more or not and Bee seemed to sense how frustrated he still was.

“Would you come to my office with me?” She asked.

Andrew considered, then asked, “Do you have chocolate milk?”

“I always do,” she said.

Andrew stomped over to her office without a word.

“Would you like me to leave the door open?” Bee asked.

“Yes.” Andrew was surprised that she had bothered asking for his opinion but relieved when she listened to him and left the door wide open.

He stomped over to the couch and sat down on it with his arms crossed while she got him chocolate milk.

He waited for the lecture as he opened his straw, but she just sat down in her chair again without yelling at him for hitting Allison and wrecking her stuff when she had shoved Aaron first and shown no remorse for it. Andrew had no doubt she would do the same again and he knew he would react the same next time.

“Do you want to talk about anything?” Bee asked.

Andrew glared at her and said nothing as he slurped chocolate milk.

“Maybe why you hit Allison?”

Andrew said nothing. He knew that saying she deserved it would get him nowhere, but she  _had_  deserved it.

“If you ever do want to talk to me, you can tell me anything you want and it will be our secret,” she said.

Andrew wasn’t going to fall for that so easily. He barely knew her. Maybe, she wasn’t totally intolerable, but he wasn’t about to give her information to hand over to Nicky and whoever else she felt like telling.

“Okay,” she said. “If you don’t feel like talking, then can I tell you a story? Maybe it will take your mind off of Allison and help you calm down.”

Andrew glared at her but didn’t tell her no.

“Is that a yes?” She asked.

Andrew glared for a few moments longer, then decided it wouldn’t be the worst thing to listen to her story and find out more about her so he would know better whether or not to trust her.

“Yes,” he said and then purposely slurped his milk box extra loud so that she wouldn’t think he was too eager to listen and so she wouldn’t think he was behaving too well and expect him to act the same way again later.

* * *

At first, Andrew only walked to Bee’s office of his own accord at her request so that he wouldn’t be carried or dragged, but as time went on he started dreading entering Bee’s office less and less. It became a much-needed break instead of a timeout. He liked having extra chocolate milk. He liked getting away from the other kids when they were getting on his nerves. He liked that Bee asked him if he wanted the office door open every time and respected his answer every time. He liked that Bee didn’t push things or yell at him and would let him sit in silence when he wanted or would tell him a story when he was in the mood for a distraction.

The first time Andrew went to her office without being asked was a day when Kevin was annoying him more than usual. He kept pushing for Andrew to play games he didn’t want to and talking about exy and arguing and Andrew couldn’t listen to Kevin try to convince him to play pretend exy one more time so he stalked off and walked into Bee’s office to get a break.

She seemed surprised that he was there as she glanced up, but she covered it up quickly.

“Andrew, what a surprise,” she said. “Would you like me to leave the door open?”

Andrew glanced over his shoulder and saw Kevin watching him from too close, waiting for him to come back out. He didn’t want Kevin watching him and listening. He didn’t want to see Kevin while he was trying to get a break from him.

“No,” Andrew said, even though he was well aware of the risk he was taking. At least this would be a test to see if trusting Bee was a smart move or not. She hadn’t given him a reason not to trust him yet and if she did this time, then he would avoid her from now on.

“Okay,” Bee said as she closed the door behind him. “If you change your mind, we can open it whenever you want.”

Andrew said nothing as he sat down on the couch and waited for his chocolate milk.

“Did you just come here for milk or is there something bothering you?” She asked as she handed him a milk box.

Andrew figured the truth wasn’t too dangerous and he didn’t feel the need to be openly hostile to Bee anymore, so he answered, “Kevin’s annoying and I need a break.”

“Thank you for coming here and taking a break when you need one to keep you and everyone else safe,” Bee said. “I am glad this is a safe place for you.”

Andrew didn’t say anything and played with the straw in his milk so he wouldn’t have to look at her because he did not know how to react to her words and was uncomfortable.

“You and Kevin do spend a lot of time together,” Bee said. “It’s hard to spend so much time with someone and get along with them all the time.”

Andrew definitely did not get along with Kevin all the time, but he had promised to keep him safe when he had found out what had happened to Kevin at his old daycare that made him so skitterish and clingy. Kevin had agreed and they had become inseparable. Kevin could be annoying, but Andrew had picked him to spend time with nonetheless and he wasn’t about to go back on his promise.

“I don’t want to talk about Kevin,” Andrew said.

“What do you want to talk about?” Bee asked.

Andrew considered for a moment. “Tell me another story.”

* * *

Andrew knew that most of the other kids at daycare had two parents. Kevin only had Wymack because his mother was dead and Neil only had his mother, but the other kids had two parents as far Andrew knew.

There had always been two parents in the foster homes Andrew had been in and he hadn’t liked either foster parent. Tilda hadn’t had any permanent figure in her life, but she’d had a string of men that Andrew had not liked in the brief time he had lived with her and Aaron before her death.

Andrew had never thought that he would want Nicky to start dating. Another adult around had never been a good thing in Andrew’s experience and he was still getting used to Nicky and didn’t fully trust him.

One day, as they were leaving daycare, Andrew heard Wymack talking to Nicky about Nicky being lonely though, so Andrew decided to take matters into his own hands. If Nicky was lonely and wanted to date someone, then maybe Andrew could help Nicky pick someone he could trust and wouldn’t mind having around.

The next day, Andrew walked right into Bee’s office when he got back to daycare after school.

“Do you want me to leave the door open?” Bee asked.

“No,” Andrew said because he had plans and he didn’t need anyone hearing and interfering or messing things up.

“Did something happen at school?” She asked as she got him a milk box, just like always.

“No,” Andrew said.

“Is something wrong or are you just visiting?”

Andrew shrugged.

“Are you here to talk or for some quiet?” She asked as she handed him his milk.

“To talk,” Andrew said. “Are you married?”

Bee looked surprised by the question.

“No,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

Andrew considered how much to reveal as he took a sip of his milk.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” He asked.

“No,” she said. “But you’re a little young for me if that’s why you’re asking.”

“I’m not asking for me,” Andrew said. “But I bet if you wanted to come over for dinner with us, Nicky would let you.”

Bee let out a chuckle and then said, “I would love to come to dinner with all of you if Nicky asks, but don’t expect anything to happen between him and I.”

“Why not?” Andrew asked. “You don’t like Nicky?”

“I like him as a friend,” she said. “But I am not Nicky’s type anyway.”

Andrew mulled that over for a moment.

“Okay,” he said, but he thought he would still have to have a conversation to make sure that Bee was definitely not Nicky’s type.

* * *

Andrew and Aaron were watching cartoons while Nicky cleaned the dishes when Andrew got up and left Aaron behind to go talk to Nicky that night.

“Nicky,” Andrew said to get his attention.

Nicky turned away from the sink with a smile on his face that Andrew didn’t understand. Nicky looked like he had won the lottery just because Andrew had decided to talk to him and Andrew didn’t know how to feel about that.

“What’s up, bud?” Nicky asked.

“What do you think of Bee?” Andrew asked.

“I think she’s great,” Nicky said and Andrew felt his hopes get up against his will. Bee had said she liked Nicky but wasn’t Nicky’s type but Nicky thought she was great and that sure sounded like she could be his type. “You like her too. Don’t you? She’s been helping, hasn’t she?”

There was something in the way Nicky asked that made Andrew feel like his answer held weight, so he chose to ignore Nicky’s question altogether.

“If you like her, you should ask her over for dinner,” Andrew said.

“Maybe we could have her over some time,” Nicky said and then realization crossed his features. “Oh, do you mean like a date?”

“You said you like her,” Andrew pointed out.

“I like her as a friend and a coworker and someone who helps you,” Nicky said. “But not like that. She’s not my type, Andrew. I like boys like that. Not girls.”

So that was why she had said that she wasn’t Nicky’s type.

There was a moment of silence and then Nicky asked, “Is that alright with you?”

Andrew didn’t know why it wouldn’t be, but something in the way Nicky looked nervous about his answer made it harder to answer. Andrew didn’t want a big reaction out of Nicky just because he was alright with something he had no control over anyway. What did he care if Nicky liked boys or girls or both? It wasn’t like Nicky was bringing anybody around anyway and either way, if he started dating someone, Andrew probably wouldn’t like them if they weren’t Bee regardless of their gender.

“You don’t have to date Bee,” Andrew said.

“Maybe we can have dinner with her sometime as friends when we can afford it,” Nicky suggested.

Andrew left the kitchen and went back to watch cartoons. He pretended he didn’t care either way because he knew that ‘when we can afford it’ could mean that they had to wait a few weeks or could be the same as a no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra will be posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**


	7. Andrew's POV - Dinner at Luther and Maria's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew doesn't want to be at Luther and Maria's house and he's looking to punish any and all adults. (Andrew's pov with a look at what he was thinking and up to during the dinner beyond Nicky's pov with looks at Andrew and Aaron's dynamic plus a big step in Andrew and Nicky's dynamic.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**

Andrew did not want to go to Nicky’s parents’ house. They hadn’t liked him last time he was there with Aaron and Tilda, back before he had ever met Nicky, and the feeling had been mutual. Andrew was dreading going back there and the only thing motivating him was the idea of Halloween candy and the fact that he had promised Nicky.

When they got to the house, Andrew trailed up the driveway behind Aaron and Nicky. He did not want any attention on him and he did not want his aunt and uncle to try to touch him or talk to him. He only stayed close enough to make sure that they didn’t do anything to Aaron. Last time Andrew had been there, Maria had kept trying to straighten out their clothes and fix their hair and Andrew had kicked her to stop her. He’d do the same if she tried it again on either of them.

Andrew did not like that he was supposed to be on his best behaviour to impress people he barely knew and who did not care about any of them. Nicky was embarrassed and ashamed of them and Andrew didn’t let himself care. He didn’t care what Nicky thought of him and he didn’t care what Luther and Maria thought of any of them and he wanted to go home. None of this would get to him. He wouldn’t let it.

When they made it to the door, Luther’s first comment was about how they were late. Andrew glared daggers at him from behind Nicky, where Nicky would never know. Andrew thought that Luther was lucky he had even let Nicky bring him.

* * *

When they went inside for dinner, Andrew immediately took the spot furthest from Luther. He did not like Maria, but Luther was worse and Andrew knew to stay far away from him.

Last time he had been in this house, Andrew had been stupid and trusted Luther. Aaron had had a black eye when they had shown up and Tilda had told some fake story about Aaron falling and hitting his face on the metal of a play structure. Andrew had been stupid enough to take a risk to help his brother and had told Luther what had really happened. He had even thought that Luther had been alright when he had yelled at Tilda for hurting Aaron, but Andrew had been very wrong.

Luther was just another kind of bad and he had proven it. Tilda lied and said that Andrew had given Aaron the black eye and she had been covering for him. Luther had been stupid and ignorant enough to believe her without questions. He had believed Tilda’s lies inherently and had called Andrew a liar when he was telling the truth. Luther had given him a whole lecture about not hitting his brother, all while he did nothing to stop Tilda from hurting Aaron again. Andrew would never trust Luther again and he did not want to be anywhere near him. Personally, Andrew thought Luther should have been in the car with Tilda when it crashed.

Andrew was already sitting at the table when Maria said, “Andrew, come sit by your brother.”

“I’m Aaron.”

Aaron looked about as pleased by the mix-up as Andrew was. Andrew was not surprised that they did not know which twin was which though. He knew how little Luther and Maria cared about them.

At least there was finally food after everyone sat down. Maria scooped pasta onto Andrew’s plate and he picked up his fork to eat like always, instead of picking any kind of fight or saying anything. He was being very cooperative. Nicky was going to have to take them to a lot of houses on Halloween.

“Andrew,” Maria said as if he had knocked his food on the ground the moment she had set it in front of him.

“What are you doing?” Luther demanded.

Andrew didn’t understand. He was eating, even though he didn’t want to take anything from them. He was doing what he was supposed to when food was put in front of him. He looked at them trying to understand, for the sake of keeping his promise to be on best behaviour, but no one explained to him and they just kept staring at him like he had ruined dinner for everyone.

All thoughts of his promise to Nicky and of Halloween slipped from Andrew’s brain all at once. If they were going to assume he was bad and stare at him like that anyway, Andrew would give them a reason to be upset and he would make sure that they would want nothing to do with him again so that he wouldn’t be invited back to go through all of this again.

Andrew dropped his fork on the table with a satisfying clatter. He met Luther’s eye across the table and then without a word, he grabbed a handful of pasta and took a bite out of it. Sauce was all over his hands and face, but it was worth it to watch Luther squirm and hear Maria’s horrified gasp.

“You let them eat like this?” Luther questioned as he turned his attention on Nicky.

Suddenly, Andrew remembered his deal with Nicky and let the rest of the pasta slip from his fingers, back onto his plate. Maybe, if he was on his best behaviour again starting now, Nicky would still take them to a few houses.

Aaron grabbed his fork and started eating nicely like he was trying to cover for Andrew so that they could still get candy. Andrew wiped his hands on the tablecloth to get some of the sauce off and was about to reach for his fork when he was interrupted.

“We haven’t said grace yet,” Maria pointed out. “Neither of you should be eating yet.”

“Clearly, you haven’t been saying grace at home or teaching them how,” Luther said and Andrew thought _good_. If Nicky tried to take trick or treating away, he would blame Nicky for not telling them they weren’t allowed to eat yet. But then Luther added, “I was hoping you were over your disappointing God phase, but I suppose I was wrong.”

Something in his words and the look on Nicky’s face made Andrew want to knock his plate off the table after all. Nicky already had a lot of strikes against him and Andrew was mad at Nicky for bringing them there, but it seemed like Luther and Maria were being just as awful to him. Maybe, Andrew and Nicky were on the same side for the time being.

“Andrew. Aaron,” Nicky said in a strained voice. “Stop eating. We’re going to say grace first.”

Apparently, they weren’t on the same side after all. Nicky was picking his parents over the twins and listening to them and Andrew hated it. He did not want to say grace. He’d been in a foster home where they’d had to before and he had never seen the point. He didn’t think he should have to sit there and wait for it now just to make Luther and Maria happy when he’d far rather they were miserable. Andrew was tempted to start eating again, although he didn’t have much of an appetite anymore.

Still, he sat there and said nothing. He could sit with his hands to himself without saying anything for a minute. He would not let them take Halloween candy away from him when that was the whole reason he was sitting through this awful dinner.

Apparently, they didn’t keep their hands to themselves when they said grace in this house. Everyone else held hands and Maria and Aaron waited for Andrew to take theirs. Andrew wouldn’t. He knew if he stayed at the table, Maria would grab his hand and that idea made his skin crawl. It was bad enough to yell at him for eating. It was bad enough to make him sit through grace. He would not be forced to let anybody touch him.

As he left the room, Andrew already knew that any hope of getting to go trick or treating was gone. He’d been stupid to make that promise and come here and he had been stupid to think that he would ever get anything out of it. Nicky was probably lying to him anyway.

Andrew was mad at himself for coming. He was mad at Luther and Maria for being awful. He was furious at Nicky for bringing him here and sitting there and doing nothing while Luther and Maria yelled at him and tried to force him into being touched. If Andrew was in trouble and the deal was already broken anyway, then he was going to punish them all. Nicky had already had a bunch of strikes against him for forgetting Aaron’s note and trying to control Andrew. Sure, he hadn’t failed Andrew’s test and said the word Andrew hated in front of him again since he’d promised, but that didn’t mean that Andrew suddenly trusted him.

Nicky had already taken his parents’ side at the table. It was time for another test, this time to see if Nicky would turn on him and act like his parents when Andrew actually acted out. If Nicky was going to change how he treated them because of other people, then Andrew didn’t want anything to do with him.

No one came after Andrew and he found himself alone in a hallway. There was a table beside him, covered in all kinds of decorative glass. It looked expensive. And breakable.

Andrew pushed one of the vases over the edge and watched it shatter on the floor with a satisfying crash. That felt good for a moment, but it didn’t feel like punishment enough, so Andrew grabbed a second vase and dropped it. No one had come to stop him yet, so he grabbed the third vase and dropped it too.

He could hear footsteps down the hallway and he knew someone would stop him soon, but he grabbed afancy plate anyway and dropped that too.

When Nicky came crashing around the corner, Andrew stared him dead in the eyes. He wanted Nicky to know what he had done. He wanted Nicky to realize it was his own fault. He wanted Nicky to know that he should never bring Andrew back here again.

Nicky grabbed Andrew off of the ground and Andrew hit him and wriggled, trying to get out of his grasp. This was not supposed to happen. At least Maria and Luther had shown up and seen his destruction, but Nicky was still holding Andrew. He held him out too far and Andrew twisted and thrashed but he had a hard time connecting with anything and Nicky wouldn’t put him down.

“Look at what you let him get away with,” Luther said. “Those were your mother’s favourite vases. Look how upset she is, Nicholas. Clearly, these kids don’t know any discipline. What kind of parent are you?”

Andrew was too distracted to even feel properly proud that he had broken Maria’s favourites.

He struggled, but he couldn’t break out of Nicky’s grip. As Nicky pushed past his parents, Andrew at least managed to connect his foot with Luther’s back.

Nicky set Andrew down as soon as he made it past them and Andrew’s first instinct was to run and hide, but the hallway was crowded and Nicky had set him down so that he was stuck between him and a wall. Andrew stood rigidly and tried to find an escape route.

Nicky crouched down in front of Andrew and Andrew was trying to figure out what path he would have to take to get away from them all as Nicky asked, “Are you okay?”

The question didn’t make sense. Andrew had smashed all the glass and Nicky should have been angry, not asking if he was okay.

“Obviously, he’s fine,” Luther insisted. “He just has an attitude. The vases and plate, on the other hand, are irreparably broken thanks to his attitude problem.”

“We’ll talk about this at home,” Nicky said and at least he did not reach out toward Andrew. “Why don’t we go eat?”

Andrew stared back at him. He didn’t want to eat, but at least if they went back to the table he wouldn’t be in this over-crowded hallway with all these eyes on him. At least if they went back to eat, he would be able to leave soon.

Nicky didn’t wait for an answer that wasn’t coming. He stood up and turned around. “I’ll clean it up after. I’ll give you money to replace them.”

“They were irreplaceable. Besides, it is not like you could afford to buy more anyway. Look at your clothes. Look at theirs. Do you really expect me to believe you can afford to look after yourself, let alone them and pay us back?” Luther demanded.

Andrew’s whole body went tense. He did not like where this was going. He was mad at Nicky and Nicky still had strikes against him, but Nicky was better than Tilda and the foster families he had been with. Andrew didn’t want to be taken away from Nicky and he definitely did not want to live with Luther or Maria.

Aaron had appeared in the hallway and he was watching for Nicky’s reactions too. Andrew was relieved that the attention had shifted off of him for the most part.

“I’ll get you the money,” Nicky said. “I’ll clean up the glass. It was an accident. Let’s just go eat now.”

“An accident?” Luther scoffed. “You call that an _accident?_ That was no accident. That little monster broke them on purpose.”

Andrew pretended that he did not care about that comment as he waited for Nicky to agree with Luther and turn on him.

Nicky’s jaw clenched and he closed his eyes. His breathing was heavy. Andrew was sure Nicky was about to yell at him. Andrew didn’t even want Nicky to like him anyway and at least he would know Nicky had failed his test so he shouldn’t trust him.

“You’re just going to let him get away with it that easily?” Luther questioned. “And you’re going to cover for him? _He_ should have to clean it up. He should have a _punishment_. He should have to _apologize_ to your mother. He shouldn’t just get to eat like nothing happened. He has been misbehaving since the moment he sat down at the table and you have said _nothing_ about it. No wonder they act the way they do when you give them no consequences.”

If Nicky tried to make Andrew apologize, Andrew would kick him in the shin and run.

Andrew was surprised when Nicky spoke to Luther instead of him.

“They’re my kids so back off.”

Luther looked personally offended which gave Andrew a new appreciation for Nicky.

“I will handle this how I see fit. At home. Later. But they had a long day and, right now, they need to eat,” Nicky insisted.

Andrew stared at Nicky, trying to read his expression. Nicky had told them to behave because he was ashamed of how they usually were, but now he was getting in trouble for how they were behaving. Nicky should have been yelling at them. Instead, he was trying to get them back at the table and was trying to get Luther to stop. Nicky was going to clean up after them and was defending them. Nicky had brought them to this horrible place around these horrible people and told them they had to behave to seem like something that they weren’t.

Nicky also was getting in as much trouble as they were and had risked getting into more to defend them.

_“My kids.”_

No one had ever called Andrew their kid before. Not any of his foster parents. Not Tilda. No one had ever wanted or even tolerated Andrew as their kid.

Andrew had learned better than to trust any kind of adult, especially one he lived with, but maybe Nicky was different than the other adults he had been stuck with after all. Andrew still did not trust Nicky, but he wanted to. Andrew would still be ready for the other shoe to drop, but he wasn’t entirely certain it would anymore. Maybe, just _maybe_ , Nicky could be his family too and not just a temporary adult that didn’t suck quite as much as the usual ones.

* * *

Andrew had already been mad at Luther and Maria for how they treated Aaron. When they went back to the table, Andrew found himself irritated with the way they spoke to Nicky.

Maria kept talking about some girl and Nicky kept trying to ignore her, but she wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Come on,” she said. “You used to like her. Maybe you could like her again. You could go to dinner.”

Andrew stopped pushing his food around his plate and glanced up at Maria. He didn’t know if she was just wrong about Nicky liking Amanda or if Nicky had told her he didn’t like girls and she was ignoring him. Either way, Nicky had stood up for him and Aaron before so Andrew stood up for him now.

“Nicky doesn’t like girls.”

“Oh,” Luther said in a disgusted tone as he glared at Nicky. “I see you did not get over that phase yet.”

Nicky looked hurt and Andrew was angry on his behalf. Andrew had long since decided that Aaron was his family and needed his protection. Andrew thought maybe Nicky was worth protecting too.

Andrew was getting ready to throw pasta to take the focus off of Nicky when Nicky made his own attempt to change the subject,

“Maybe we should talk about something else.”

“I agree,” Luther said. “Although I am surprised that you would want to change the subject when you talk about your lifestyle in front of six year-olds.”

Andrew glared Luther down as he reached for the bottom of his plate with both hands. He wondered if he could throw it hard enough to hit Luther in the face from across the table.

“Dinner is delicious, Mom,” Nicky said.

Andrew let go of his plate because Nicky had distracted his parents by playing nice and Andrew didn’t want to get Nicky in more trouble.

Andrew grabbed his fork and went back to spinning the pasta around on his plate instead of eating.

“I’m glad somebody seems to think so,” Maria said as she glared over at Andrew.

Now Andrew definitely would not eat another bite.

* * *

When everyone else was done eating, Andrew still had most of his food left on his plate and he had no plan to eat anymore.

“If you want dessert, you had better finish your food instead of just playing with it,” Maria threatened.

Andrew did not make deals on other people’s terms, especially on the terms of people he did not like. Maria had just assumed that she could threaten him to control him and Andrew could not have her thinking that so he knocked his plate off of the table and stared her dead in the eyes as he told her, “I’m done.”

“I’m not cleaning that up,” Maria said.

For all Andrew cared, it could stay on her floor for the rest of eternity. It would serve her right.

“I will,” Nicky volunteered.

Just like that, Nicky got up from the table and came back to clean up Andrew’s mess. Nicky shouldn’t have been cleaning it. Nicky wasn’t the one who had threatened him. Andrew had made the mess to punish Maria and Luther, not Nicky.

* * *

When Nicky was done cleaning up, Maria served cake to everyone but Andrew and Andrew glared at her and refused to admit how badly he wanted a slice.

Aaron slid his plate closer like he was going to share his piece with Andrew, but that plan got foiled right away.

“Do _not_ share with him,” Luther growled. “Aaron had his chance to eat.”

Andrew glared at Luther and wondered how stupid he was that he had already forgotten their names again as Aaron complained, “ _I’m_ Aaron.”

Andrew refused to sit around and watch everyone else eat cake and he was sick of the way Luther and Maria treated Aaron and him and Nicky, so he stood up from the table again.

“Andrew,” Nicky said when he was already halfway across the room. “Don’t break anything else.”

Andrew didn’t say anything, but he wasn’t planning to break anything more. It was satisfying to ruin Maria’s things, but it was not so satisfying to get Nicky in trouble and make him have to clean up whatever he shattered. Andrew didn’t want to punish Nicky anymore.

“And stay away from the glass,” Nicky added as Andrew walked into the hallway.

Andrew stepped around the glass until he made it back to the table where the rest of the fancy glass items were displayed. He ignored the plates and instead focused on the display of miniature glass animal figures. Bee had one like those of a cat in her office, but she didn’t have any of the other ones.

Luther and Maria were bad people. Bad people didn’t deserve nice things. But Bee was nice. She gave him chocolate milk and a place to get away without pressure. She deserved the figurines much more than they ever would.

Andrew grabbed a fox, a bird, and a dog figurine and tucked them in his pockets then pulled his shirts down over them. Nicky bought all their clothes too big so they would fit for longer which meant the figurines in his pants wouldn’t be too obvious. Andrew didn’t plan on letting anyone get close enough to notice anyway.

Andrew checked the mirror to make sure there weren’t any clear animal shaped lumps on his person and then he headed back to the table. Aaron’s plate was still halfway between their spots and he had left half of his slice there, so Andrew grabbed Aaron’s plate on his way by.

“You are not allowed to eat that,” Luther threatened as if Andrew cared about his rules. Andrew ignored him and forked a giant piece into his mouth.

“He needs something to eat,” Nicky defended.

Andrew barely bothered chewing before he shoveled another chunk of cake into his mouth.

“He had a perfectly good meal,” Maria said. “He is the one who chose to throw it on the floor.”

Andrew felt victorious when they glanced over at him and found that all that was left of the cake was already in his mouth anyway. He chewed fast and swallowed it all in one big gulp so they couldn’t try to make him spit it out.

* * *

After dessert, Nicky cleaned up the glass and helped out with the dishes. Andrew stayed close to Aaron and close to Nicky because he didn’t want to be alone with Luther or Maria and he didn’t want Aaron alone with them either.

Andrew was careful to keep his arms blocking his pockets while he waited. He did not regret breaking the vases and plate, but he did wish they could leave sooner.

When it was finally time to go, Maria tried to talk Nicky into having the twins move in with her and Luther. Andrew wanted to kick her but, instead, he waited for Nicky’s reaction because he was more interested in what Nicky would answer on his own.

“They’re staying with me,” Nicky said. “Thank you, but we don’t need your help. Good night.”

With that, Nicky turned around and left and Andrew only waited for Aaron to run out before he sprinted away after him.

In the car, Andrew did his own seatbelt up so that Nicky wouldn’t discover what he had hidden in his pockets. When he got home, he’d have to hide them in his backpack so Nicky wouldn’t find them before he could give them to Bee in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra will also be posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**


	8. Aaron's POV - Dinner with Luther and Maria/Seeing Erik

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron tries to be on his best behaviour for Nicky and shares some new secrets with Andrew. (Aaron's pov of parts of the dinner, Andrew hiding the figurines, and seeing Erik.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**

When they stopped in front of Nicky’s parents’ house, Aaron’s mother’s words from the last time he had been there echoed in his head.

 _Don’t you dare embarrass me this time_.

Aaron was afraid that Nicky didn’t like them how they were and wished they were different. Why else would Nicky have to warn them to be on their best behaviour and why else would he worry so much about how they looked and acted?

Aaron was sad that Nicky was getting sick of them and maybe regretted taking them in, but he still cared about what Nicky thought so he was going to behave as much as he could so Nicky would like him still.

He didn’t want Nicky mad at him, but it hurt to know that Nicky was ashamed of them and worried they’d embarrass him. Aaron wanted to be good so Nicky wouldn’t be mad, but he did not understand why Nicky wanted them to impress the parents that had Nicky so nervous to go inside.

Aaron didn’t really like Uncle Luther and Aunt Maria, but he kept that information to himself because he didn’t want Nicky to get angry at him for complaining or not liking them when Nicky did.

* * *

Halfway to the door, Aaron grabbed onto Nicky’s hand. It was a stupid move and if Nicky was his mother, he would have pulled his hand away and told Aaron not to be a baby. But Nicky wasn’t Aaron’s mother and he let Aaron clutch his hand.

When Nicky knocked, Aaron half hid behind his leg because he remembered how heavy Luther’s stare had been the other handful of times he had been there.

Uncle Luther was mean when they answered the door, but Nicky ignored it and Aaron stayed hidden from him as best he could.

When they went inside, Andrew sat down at the table right away but Nicky didn’t. Aaron stayed where he was in the doorway and watched Nicky to try to figure out what he was supposed to do.

“Andrew, come sit by your brother,” Aunt Maria said, even though Andrew was the one already at the table.

Aaron was annoyed that they thought he was Andrew when he was the one they’d been around more but they didn’t know his name anyway.

“I’m Aaron,” he said, but he tried not to sound _too_ annoyed because Nicky was looking and he was supposed to be good.

“Oh, of course,” Maria said, but she didn’t seem very sorry about getting his name wrong.

Aaron looked over to Nicky to see if he was allowed to say anything about it or if Nicky would, but Nicky just sat down at the table. Aaron hesitated a moment and then sat down in the chair next to him.

* * *

When Maria served dinner, Aaron thought that he could just keep his mouth full and avoid having to talk to anyone. But then, before he even got any food, Andrew got in trouble for starting eating and made it worse by grabbing pasta with his hands and taking a giant bite.

“You let them eat like this?” Uncle Luther asked and Aaron felt shame even though he wasn’t the one who had done anything.

Aaron picked up his fork and took a bite so that his aunt and uncle would see that they knew how to use cutlery. Aaron didn’t want Nicky mad and part of him hated the idea of Luther and Maria thinking bad things about them.

“We haven’t said grace yet,” Maria insisted. “Neither of you should be eating yet.”

Aaron dropped his fork and stared down at his plate instead of anyone else. So much for making things better.

Luther complained some more and Aaron refused to look at him, then Nicky told them they had to say grace. Aaron was glad he wasn’t sitting next to his aunt or uncle as the adults linked hands.

Aaron grabbed Nicky’s hand and held one out to Andrew because that was what he was supposed to do and he’d already messed up enough, but Andrew just stormed out of the room.

They said grace without him and when everyone else said amen except Aaron, he wished he could leave the table too as Luther and Maria stared at him. Aaron glanced away from them and waited for Nicky to start eating before he picked up his fork again.

He’d hardly gotten a bite in before a loud sound came from the hallway. All of the adults got up from the table to see what was happening, but Aaron sat with his legs dangling from his chair. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to leave the table or not. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to keep eating or wait. He poked his food around on his plate and hoped that they weren’t in too much trouble.

Aaron stayed there at first, but the shouting in the hallway became too much and he was worried about Andrew so eventually he got up from his chair and went to go find out what was happening.

When he stopped in the doorway, broken glass was scattered on the floor and Nicky was crouched down in front of Andrew.

“Obviously, he’s fine,” Luther snapped. “He just has an attitude. The vases and plate, on the other hand, are irreparably broken thanks to his attitude problem.”

“We’ll talk about this at home,” Nicky said. “Why don’t we go eat?”

Aaron debated going back to the table before anyone spotted him, but then Nicky’s eyes met his and he knew he was busted anyway.

“I’ll clean it up after,” Nicky insisted. “I’ll give you the money to replace them.”

Aaron knew that they already didn’t have enough money as it was and he was afraid of how angry Nicky would be when they left.

“They were irreplaceable. Besides, it is not like you could afford to buy more anyway. Look at your clothes. Look at theirs. Do you really expect me to believe you can afford to look after yourself, let alone them and pay us back?”

Aaron held his arm straight at his side so that no one would see the hole in the armpit of his shirt. He wondered if he had messed up and let it show earlier.

“I’ll get you the money. I’ll clean up the glass. It was an accident,” Nicky insisted. “Let’s just go eat now.”

“An accident? You call that an _accident?_ That was no accident. That little monster broke them on purpose.”

Aaron flinched. For a moment, he was certain that Luther was going to strike Nicky.

“You’re just going to let him get away with it that easily? And you’re going to cover for him?” Luther demanded and Aaron shifted uncomfortably. He really wished they could just leave before Luther would hurt one of them. “ _He_ should have to clean it up. He should have a _punishment_. He should have to _apologize_ to your mother. He shouldn’t just get to eat like nothing happened. He has been misbehaving since the moment he sat down at the table and you have said _nothing_ about it. No wonder they act the way they do when you give them no consequences.”

Nicky turned around and there was something strange in his voice as he insisted, “They’re my kids so back off.”

Aaron thought for sure Nicky would have been even more sick of them after they got in so much trouble, but he was shocked by Nicky’s words.

Aaron had never been called someone’s kid in a good way. His mother had used to call him ‘my stupid kid’ when she was introducing him to others or telling them about things he had done wrong. Nicky said it like he wanted to protect them and that was something very new to Aaron. He had never been called anyone’s kid without it sounding like he was an inconvenience his mother had wished she’d never had.

Aaron’s heart was swelling, but he didn’t admit it or let it show. He stayed silent and stared at Nicky instead.

“I will handle this how I see fit. At home. Later,” Nicky said. “But they have had a long day and, right now, they need to eat.”

Aaron wasn’t so scared of what Nicky would be like when they left anymore.

* * *

 The rest of the dinner dragged out.

Aaron made sure his mouth was always full so that he couldn’t talk. He felt sick to his stomach after he finished eating, but the was afraid to leave any food on his plate and face Uncle Luther or Aunt Maria’s wrath.

They only scared Aaron more when Andrew knocked his plate on the floor and Nicky got up to clean it up. Aaron watched as Nicky cleaned and felt even more scared. Nicky was an adult. He wasn’t supposed to be scared of anyone and, obviously, Luther and Maria must have been scary if they had Nicky afraid of them.

When Maria served dessert to everyone but Andrew because he hadn’t finished his dinner and had thrown it on the ground, Aaron crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward to stare at it. It looked good, but Aaron was so full and Andrew hadn’t gotten any so Aaron pushed his plate halfway between himself and his brother.

“Do _not_ share with him,” Uncle Luther growled. “Aaron had his chance to eat.”

Aaron was even more irritated this time. He was sitting in the exact same chair as he had sat down in after he had corrected them last time.

“ _I’m_ Aaron,” he insisted, but no one even acknowledged he had spoken.

Andrew got up and left. Nicky warned him not to break anything and Aaron waited for the sound of broken glass again, but this time it didn’t come.

Aaron slid his plate closer and started to eat to try to counteract whatever Andrew was doing, but he left the second half of the slice of cake on the plate for Andrew.

Andrew came back a few minutes after he had left and he took Aaron’s plate to his spot with him. Aaron knew he was supposed to not want them in trouble, but he was glad when Andrew ate the rest of the cake before anyone could get take it away from him.

* * *

 Aaron wished they could have just left when they were done, but Nicky had to finish cleaning so Aaron stayed closed to Nicky. He felt safer with Nicky there to protect him and Aaron was a little surprised when Andrew followed them around too.

When it was finally time to leave, Aunt Maria said, “Nicky, you seem like you need help. We could take the twins for you. Or, you could all come live here-”

Aaron did not want to live with them and he did not want to leave Nicky. He hid behind Nicky’s leg again and was relieved when Nicky shook his head no.

“They’re staying with me,” Nicky said and Aaron’s heart soared. “Thank you, but we don’t need your help. Good night.”

When Nicky opened the door, Aaron ran out after him. They couldn’t get away fast enough.

At the car, Nicky helped Aaron get his seatbelt on while Andrew buckled up his own. Nicky didn’t say anything about how the night had gone yet and Aaron was itching to know how much trouble they were in.

Aaron waited until Nicky was in the front seat before he asked, “Nicky? Are you mad?”

Nicky sighed. “Not at either of you. I never should have brought you here.”

Aaron wanted to ask why not, but he was afraid to get himself in trouble so he kept his mouth shut.

Nicky turned around to look at him and insisted,“Neither of you is in trouble, is that’s what you’re wondering. Let’s just go home and try to forget we ever came.”

* * *

When they got home, Nicky sent Aaron and Andrew to go change into their pajamas while he made Kraft Dinner for Andrew.

Aaron started changing right away when they were in their room, but Andrew only removed his top t-shirt and then pulled three glass figurines out of his pants pockets. He wrapped the figurines in his t-shirt, then unzipped his backpack and hid them in the bottom.

“You stole those,” Aaron said. He didn’t care that Andrew had stolen from Luther and Maria, but he did care that they had been supposed to be on their best behaviour.

“You can’t tell Nicky,” Andrew insisted.

Aaron didn’t want to tell Nicky because he knew he would be mad and because he didn’t want Uncle Luther and Aunt Maria to get their figurines back. He was sure Andrew had stolen them to bother them and that he did not plan on keeping them. They were in Andrew’s backpack already which meant Andrew would probably get rid of them before Nicky would ever find out. Aaron wasn’t totally sure what to do though because Nicky could look in the backpack and find out anyway and Aaron didn’t want to get in trouble for helping hide it.

“It will be our secret,” Andrew said.

Andrew was trusting him. Andrew was including him in his secret. For a moment, it was like they were real brothers so Aaron stopped worrying about what would happen if Nicky found out and gave in.

“Okay.”

* * *

The next night, Aaron woke up from Andrew kicking in his sleep again. He was so tired that he tried to just fall back asleep, but then Andrew kicked him in the shin again so he got up to go find Nicky.

The hallway was dark, but at least there was some light coming from the living room as Aaron headed toward it.

“-watches them for me most nights.”

“Nicky?” Aaron asked.

He wondered who Nicky was talking to as he stepped into the doorway and found Nicky sitting on the couch on his laptop.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Nicky pointed out while Aaron rubbed at his eye.

It wasn’t like Aaron didn’t want to be in bed. He was so tired that it took all his energy just to cross the room so when he reached the couch, he fell against Nicky.

“Andrew’s kicking in his sleep again,” he complained.

“This must be Aaron then,” said a voice Aaron had never heard before. “He’s cute.”

“I am not,” Aaron grumbled into Nicky’s shirt.

He tried to hide his face, but curiosity got the best of him and he rolled his head to the side, keeping Nicky’s arm as a pillow, as he looked at the computer to see who had spoken.

“Who’s that?” He asked when he found a stranger smiling at him.

“Erik,” Nicky said. “He’s my friend.”

Aaron had never heard about Erik before and he didn’t know Nicky even had friends. Aaron didn’t think Andrew knew either. He would have to tell him later. It was good to have a secret. Maybe, it could make Andrew pay attention to him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra will also be posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**


	9. Andrew’s POV - Waking up without Aaron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew wakes up to find Aaron gone. (Andrew’s POV of the night Aaron sleeps in Nicky’s bed and Andrew shows up while they’re asleep plus an Andrew and Aaron morning conversation while Nicky’s showering.)
> 
> (Posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: This extra was posted between chapters 7 and 8 of Fox Daycare.**

When Andrew woke up, it was still dark other than the faint glow that came from Aaron's nightlight in the corner of the room, but Aaron was gone.

Andrew sat up and listened to try to tell if Aaron was in the washroom or on his way back, but he heard nothing so he got up to investigate.

He opened his bedroom door and had to close his eyes from how bright it was with the hallway on. When he gradually managed to get them open again, he saw Aaron in Nicky's bed across the hall. Andrew only took a small comfort in the fact that the door was open.

He hesitated in the doorway for a moment and then padded into the room, as silently as he could manage. Nicky was snoring lightly and Andrew didn't want to do anything to change that.

Instead of getting in the bed, Andrew stopped by the empty side of the bed and stared at his brother for a long moment.

Aaron was asleep with his breath coming out even. He didn't look hurt but it was hard to tell. He didn't have any clear injuries from what Andrew could see of him where he wasn't tucked under the comforter and his face looked peaceful while he slept. He looked calmer than he did most nights.

Andrew decided Aaron was probably okay, but he didn't want to leave him alone in there. He couldn't wake him up to make him come back to their bed either though because that would risk waking Nicky up too. So Andrew tiptoed around the bed and leaned over Nicky, careful not to touch him, as he searched Nicky's features to make sure he wasn't just pretending to be asleep and that he didn't seem like he was going to wake up any time soon.

Nicky just snored on, not reacting to Andrew at all, so after a minute or two Andrew padded around the bed again and crawled in on the other side of Aaron. He took one last look to make sure Nicky hadn't moved and one more to check Aaron was okay, then laid down himself.

He slept with his back to the door so he could keep an eye on Aaron and Nicky until he drifted off. He didn't care that the door was open. It didn't matter when they were in Nicky's room already.

* * *

Andrew woke up first the next morning. Light was streaming in through the window, but Andrew didn't dare wake Nicky or leave Aaron. Instead, he pretended to still be asleep until he heard someone else move.

He sat up to see what was going on and found Nicky staring back at him.

“Good morning,” Nicky yawned.

Aaron stirred at the sound of Nicky's voice and stretched as he sat up.

Andrew didn't want to stay in Nicky's room any longer than they had to and he didn't want either of them to ask why he had joined them, so he complained, “I’m hungry.”

“I’ll make breakfast after I shower,” Nicky told him.

Andrew was hungry, but he figured at least Nicky was going to leave without asking why he was there so he said nothing and took it as a win.

Nicky got up and left the room, but Aaron stayed seated on the bed and yawned to himself.

“Why did you sleep in here?” Andrew asked, although he did not want to be asked the same thing and would not answer if he was.

“You were kicking me in your sleep again,” Aaron said. “So I got up and asked Nicky if I could sleep in your bed.”

Aaron said it like being allowed to sleep in Nicky's bed was a good thing and Andrew felt a little less worried.

“Are you okay?” He asked anyway because he had to be sure.

Aaron looked confused by the question, then said, “You don't kick _that_ hard. It just makes it hard to sleep.”

He had completely missed the point of the question, but that was answer enough if the worst thing that had happened to Aaron the night before was Andrew kicking because of his nightmares again.

Andrew accepted the answer and moved to leave the bedroom before Nicky could come back, but he hadn't even made it off the bed before Aaron stopped him with one leg over the edge.

“Wait,” he said.

Andrew glanced back at him and said nothing.

“I know a secret about Nicky,” Aaron said with a hint of pride in his tone. “Want to know it?”

Andrew pulled his leg back around and turned around to face Aaron again. Suddenly, Andrew was worried all over again.

“What?” Andrew said when Aaron still didn't say anything and just waited for a bigger reaction,

“Nicky has a friend,” Aaron said. “Nicky was talking to him on his computer when I got up last night. I saw him. His name is Erik. He has an accent.”

Andrew hadn't heard Nicky mention Erik before at all.

“I told him he can't steal Nicky from us,” Aaron said like he was waiting for Andrew's approval.

Andrew was irritated that he'd had to find out from Aaron and not Nicky, but Nicky's words echoed in his head.

“I like boys like that. Not girls.”

Andrew didn't say anything, but he wondered if Erik was more than just a friend Nicky was keeping secret from him. He wondered how long it would take before Nicky would tell him about Erik himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: The next extra won’t be posted until after chapter 8.**


End file.
